Trick Your Dog into Losing Weight

Written by Doris Donnerman (last updated February 17, 2009)

Believe it or not, your dog can gain weight and it can be noticeable. I once knew a dog that ate quite a bit and grew to be quite beefy. It was kind of ridiculous actually. If your dog is having a harder and harder time fitting through his doggie door, maybe it's time to do something. You can put your dog on a diet without him even realizing it.

One of the key concepts is portion control. Many dogs will eat as much as is put before them and so you need to control how much you give your dog to eat. Don't let your dog snack too much during the day and try to monitor what other people give it.

Another crucial thing to keep in mind is that your dog will inevitably gain weight if all he or she eats is food from the table. Dogs should eat primarily dog food and if that guideline isn't really a guideline with your dog, it's time to make it so. Human food isn't the best for dogs and doesn't contain some of the necessary vitamins and minerals found in dog food. Also, human food has more fats and sugars that dogs don't need, resulting in a fat dog.

Exercise is also a good way to help your dog lose weight, and it can be good for you too. If you just take your dog out for a jog a few times a week, you'll greatly be enhancing those weight-loss methods, and you'll be feeling pretty good yourself! Don't push your dog too hard—just like with humans, you need to work your way up to intense workouts.

Losing weight for dogs utilizes many of the same principles used in losing weight for humans. Make sure your dog eats appropriate portions, eats the right kind of food, and exercises, and your dog will shed those extra pounds and be good to go!

Author Bio

Doris Donnerman

Doris is a jack of all trades, writing on a variety of topics. Her articles have helped enlighten and entertain thousands over the years. ...

MORE FROM DORIS

Cleaning Out Your Clothes Closet

Cleaning out your closet does not have to be a huge all day process. You can have a clean closet in just a few days with ...

Discover More

Barbecue Safety

Where should you put your barbecue? How can you make sure you're safe while grilling? Get some barbecue safety tips ...

Discover More

Tasty Leftovers

Here is tasty idea for a simple dinner, that will leave everyone happy and you will not be disappointed with all the time ...

Discover More
More Pet Tips

Never Give Dogs Chocolate

You often here to not give your dogs chocolate, but you may not know why. Learn the reason behind the advice, and you'll ...

Discover More

Helping a Runt Get Food

Runts don't always get the best lot, you know. While it may be in the course of nature for the runt to lose out, as a pet ...

Discover More

Don't Give a Dog a Bone

While the TV shows, movies, and cartoons all show pet owners tossing their dogs a bone for a treat, that's not what you ...

Discover More
Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is four less than 6?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)